Hi, I'm Brooke!

I'm a Grand Rapids, MI photographer specializing in birth photography and family photojournalism. I like to teach other women how to use their DSLRs to photograph their families, too. I believe in the power of beauty and the beauty of the raw and ordinary.

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harper's one-of-a-kind birth story spanned almost every possible scenario, from home to hospital, "dry land" to water, working hard for vaginal birth to an ultimate cesarean section delivery. but through it all, there was such love and such humor.

casi (the mama) is a student midwife. this is her first baby, and the midwives who assisted her throughout her days and nights of labor were the same midwives she works with, who have become, as she put it, "her people." because of the depth of trust amongst her and her partner and her birth team, there were inside jokes, comfortable laughter, and raw emotions expressed throughout her birth journey.

casi is uber-knowledgable, she was prepared, and she is no stranger to all the gritty details of birth. yet no matter how knowledgeable and prepared and familiar a woman may be, when it comes to your OWN birth... somehow it will always surprise and challenge you in ways you couldn't even have anticipated. that was certainly true for casi. yet through all the curve balls she was thrown, for all the times we all thought birth was imminent (and then it wasn't), for the changes of plans and difficult decisions among the way... through it all, she listened to her intuition above her head, and she found her way through, supported by "her people." and the fruit of their long journey -- a journey that started before harper was even conceived -- is the sweetest reward.

a couple notes that will help you follow the story: there are a couple sections of missing time in these photos. i left their company twice over the 2.5 days that they labored. i was gone overnight, then rejoined them after they transferred to the hospital the following morning. i also left just before their c-section and returned the next morning to capture them all recovering together. :)

now i'll let the photos speak for themselves, as you go along with casi and lesley on their wild adventure to welcome their superhero daughter, the amazing harper danger!

PS: i'm running a winter birth story special right now. be sure to check it out if you're expecting your own little one between january and march 2015.